Fireworks
by LaDyPaRaNoiD
Summary: Neon takes a shot at being a 'normal' teenager and drags Clapika along with her.
1. Reveleations

Fireworks  
  
*this story begins after Kuroro's abduction, where Clapika put a Judgment Chain on him. Yes, Pakunoda's dead. *I'm writing this according to my own translation~Clapika, Senrich, etc.  
  
Chapter one  
  
Neon glanced at the open doorway of her bedroom and heaved another sigh. Men in black were rushing past, talking to their cell phones and peering inside her room, making sure she was. there.  
Sigh.  
What do you think I am? She thought angrily. Another puppet? A tool? Now that my power's gone, I'm basically useless? So what do you intend to do? Throw me out of the house?  
Her father. Her father would forgive her, wouldn't he? He'd still love her even if she's powerless now, right?  
Neon kicked her feet into the air and hopped out of her bed. She glanced into the mirror and plastered on her usual spoiled-daddy's-girl smirk on her face and made her way to her father's office.  
Four men were standing in front of the office door. Their faces turned mask like when their cold, expressionless eyes swept over her. She felt like picking up the 10 thousand jeni table beside her and hurling it at the four men.  
Who are you to judge me? She thought defiantly.  
"I want to see my father." She demanded.  
The four men glanced at each other. One of them stepped out. "He's busy at the moment." He said tonelessly.  
Neon stamped her foot. "I don't care! Daddy's never been too busy to see me!"  
"I'm really sorry, Ms. Nostaroid. He doesn't want to see anyone right now." The man said and suddenly grabbed her arm.  
Neon was astonished. How dare this. this gorilla touched her! Nobody, absolutely nobody has ever dared to get rough with Neon Nostaroid and get away with it.  
Just then, the door was opened and Clapika stepped out. He looked surprised at seeing Neon there, with her arm held by the bulky bodyguard.  
Neon wrenched her arm free of the iron grip and shoved the bodyguard aside. She was, of course, unsuccessful in forcibly removing him but the bodyguard had stepped away, perhaps realizing that he's crossed a line.  
"Is my father in there?" she asked the blonde-haired teenager, now one of her father's most important men. Neon had never noticed him much. He'd always been the quite type, always staying in the background and barely talked to other people. He rarely accompany her on her many shopping sprees, too. Most of the time, he was away, running errands.  
But Neon liked Clapika. He's unobtrusive and she felt that his presence was calming.  
Clapika glanced inside the office. Then, hesitatingly, he murmured a yes. Neon pushed past him and stepped inside the office.  
"Daddy, I-" her legs froze in midstep.  
The man sitting on the sofa with his hands buried in his face was her father? No, it can't be. This. man looked like he's lost all will to live. Her father. he looked like he's aged 20 years since she last saw him.  
Neon staggered backward, the initial shock fading away. She felt someone's arm supporting her back, preventing her from falling backwards through the doorway.  
"Daddy." She whispered. "Oh, daddy! It's me! It's Neon, your daughter! What's happened to you?"  
She rushed to his side and pulled his hands away from his face. She saw that his eyes were completely blank and unfocused. He was mumbling something incomprehensible under his breath.  
"It was a shock to him." Clapika's soft, clear voice came from the doorway. He was standing there, staring at the father and daughter with an impassive look. It was his 'business look'. The look he'd put on whenever he's on duty.  
"It was my fault, wasn't it? I was the one who ran away from my bodyguards. I was stupid enough to follow some strange man just because he seemed nice. I was the one who told him about my abilities, made him steal it. My fault! It was my entire fault, wasn't it?"  
Neon knelt beside her father and rested her head on his knee. And for the first time, she let a tear trickle down her cheek in front of a stranger. She was showing her weakness to an outsider, making someone see that the bratty Neon Nostaroid have feelings after all. She didn't care. She'd reveal her true self to the whole world if it would make her father his old self again.  
Clapika was watching the scene unfolding before him with contradicting feelings. On one hand, he was kind of glad that Neon Nostaroid had lost her powers. He didn't like the way her father used her to get ahead in his business and he also didn't like the way Neon used her father's need for her powers to basically get away with anything she did. On the other hand, he almost felt sorry for the older girl, as the old man seemed more concerned about her powers than his own daughter's safety. He'd remembered the way Mr. Nostaroid had desperately searched for his daughter, and how depressed he became when finding out that she couldn't use her powers anymore. Losing her powers made Neon just a useless spoiled brat. Nobody would ever want to put up with her tantrums again.  
It is not my place to judge. He reminded himself.  
Suddenly, Neon stood up. Her gesture was so abrupt that Clapika's head snapped to her face in surprise.  
"It's not fair. It's not fair!" the last sentence was screamed out in a shrill screech. "You're punishing me, aren't you, Daddy? You're punishing me for all the hard time I put you through when you want my predictions. So now it's all my fault, isn't it? I'll be the cause of ruin of your company. I'll be the cause! I'll be the cause!"  
The change in attitude was perplexing but Clapika wisely decided not to say anything. After all, he never could understand Neon. She was complex, one moment whining and acting bratty and the next, screaming and throwing things. But he had to admit, this was the first time he'd seen a remotely humane side of her he never knew existed.  
For once, she cared about someone around her. Most of the time, she seemed more self-absorbed and never cared about the well beings of the people around her. He still remembered the time he'd told her about Dartuony's possible death, the first thing she asked was, "what about the mummy? I wanted it!"  
Somehow, he wasn't surprised when she said that. After all, she must've been used to having countless of her bodyguards dead since she was often pursued by her father's rivals.  
Still.  
Neon whirled around and stalked out of the office, her face set in a determined frown. Clapika had no idea what she was planning to do but whatever it was, he was sure it would smell trouble to her bodyguards.  
Eliza and Bashow were waiting for her in front of her room. Eliza, particularly, was twisting the sleeve of her kimono nervously and almost jumped out of her skin when Neon barked out a "Get lost!" at them.  
"Miss Nostaroid." Eliza's voice shook a bit. Neon had no idea why she was so nervous. She knew that her bodyguards walk on eggshells whenever she was in a bad mood but this was ridiculous. Eliza was acting as if Neon might jump at her if she spoke another word.  
"I want to quit." This time, Eliza's voice was firmer. She daren't look into her boss' eyes, however.  
An awkward silence followed these words. Neon was squinting at Eliza, wondering if she should bother a reply. Look on the bright side. At least there's one less idiot following me around. She thought nastily.  
"I don't care if you want to quit or not." She said finally, almost cheerily. Maybe I can get rid of Senrich and Bashow too! Daddy's too preoccupied to even care about my protection anyway. "I want to see your leader in my room." She ordered to Bashow as Eliza walked away. Without waiting for a reply, she went into her room and slammed the door shut.  
Neon was sitting on her bed, admiring her newly-acquired Kurta eyes when there was a knock on her door. "Come in!" she called out, setting the container on her nightstand.  
Clapika stepped inside, looking pensive. "You summoned me?" He glanced at the container beside Neon and something in his eyes flickered. Then he looked away.  
Neon was curious. Was there something about this particular collection that bothered him?  
"Do you want to know why I like to collect organs and body parts so much?"  
Clapika stared at her, surprised. Was this why she called him? "It is not my place to inquire." He answered. To every man his reasons. He added silently.  
Neon pouted at him. "You're no fun." She complained. "I'll tell you anyway." she continued, waving her hand dismissively.  
"I'm a fortune-teller. I predict the future. Therefore, the future doesn't intrigue me. But I am very much interested in the past. You can change your future, but certainly not your past. " While talking, she held the Kurta's eyes container on her lap, staring at it in fascination. "So I collect these things because I was curious. What was their story? What happened to them in their living period? What would their future be if they had been alive? These are things that I can't tell by my talents. That's why I like keeping them. There are some things in this world you can't tell, even through fortune-telling."  
She realized that her employer had become rigid while she was talking. Clapika's hands were clutched and his body was flowing with tension.  
"Did it ever occur to you that if there are no people like you, people that collect these, then there will never be any more wasted deaths? The organs that you collect, did it ever occur to you that they might have families? Families that will mourn for them, for their deaths! And for what? So their body parts can be displayed on shelves? So people can admire the so-called beauty, or mystery?" he finally said, words tumbling out of his mouth in violent torrents. His face was flushed and he knew that he was shaking with anger.  
Neon was staring at him in wonder and surprise. This was the first time she had heard the blonde utter more than five words in a sentence to her and she was quite amazed. Even if he did, one way or another insulted her hobby. Or was it something else? Was there something else that runs deeper than his disgust for organ and body part collectors?  
Clapika took a deep, calming breath. He realized that he had lost control of his temper again. But he couldn't help it. Once Neon started talking, he couldn't help thinking about the massacre of his tribe. And that always made him see red (no pun intended).  
After a long, stony silence that stretched between them, Neon finally spoke. "Anyway, there is an auction at Southern Peace tonight. It's the last day of the auction and I want to be there. I don't want any bodyguards trailing me around tonight and if you're going to stop me, don't bother because I've already made up my mind."  
"That's out of the question. Things are complicated right now and I don't think we can risk adding up to that complication." Clapika said.  
Neon frowned. "What's so complicated about it? I go the auction, bid on something, and then come home. What kind of complication can come out of it?"  
A lot, if you'd only stop and think. Clapika suppressed an urge to sigh. His boss was difficult to negotiate with. She refused to see reason and always do whatever she wants. She's way too spoiled.  
"Okay, fine. You can go to the auction. But," he held up a hand to prevent Neon from interrupting. "you are not going without at least one bodyguard."  
"What? No way! No bodyguards!" Neon protested loudly. She crossed her arms and turned her head away, refusing to compromise.  
"I said, at least one. Just to be on the safe side. And I won't be persuaded otherwise." Clapika said firmly.  
Neon groaned and fell back on her bad. She knew that he meant what he said. He's not like her father whom she can persuade with a little whining and blackmail.  
She finally sat up and faced him. "Okay fine. But I get to choose the bodyguard."  
Clapika sighed with relief. At least she wasn't screaming and throwing things at him. "Deal."  
"Okay then. We'll leave at 7.30 tonight. Get the car ready."  
"We?"  
"Yes, you and me. Why?"  
"Nothing."  
Clapika turned and was about to leave but Neon called after him.  
"One more thing. You're driving, okay? No drivers."  
What could she possibly be up to? He thought curiously. "As you wish." 


	2. Encounter

Disclaimer: I don't own ANY of the Hunter X Hunter characters (wish I did though). They all belong to Togashi sensei. *I changed the contents of the original slightly to suit my storyline. Hope it's not too confusing. ^_^ *I know that Clapika's supposed to be down with a fever but as I said, I changed the story slightly.  
  
Chapter Two~Encounter  
  
7.24 p.m, Nostaroid mansion.  
Neon tried to resist the impulse to run as she ascended the spiral staircase leading to the front part of her mansion, her heels clicking on the marble stairs. She knew she might break her neck if she did as she was wearing high heels. She was just a bit excited that she finally gets to actually go to an auction, and also unguarded.  
Well, almost unguarded. She amended as she saw Clapika waiting patiently for her in the middle of the wide hall.  
She also caught the flicker of amazement on his face when she saw her in a formal black, knee-length dress. Her hair was also pulled back in an elegant bun on top of her head, highlighting the vividness of her green eyes.  
"What are you wearing?" she demanded as soon as she arrived at the bottom of the stairs.  
Clapika looked down at his usual blue and gold one-piece suit and couldn't help but feel insulted. "This happens to be my tribe's sacred-"  
"You're wearing your uniform!" Neon exclaimed, interrupting his icy reply.  
"My uniform! It's-"  
"Don't you own a suit?"  
As a matter of fact, Mr. Nostaroid did give him a suit when he started working. wait a minute, he's still not letting her get away with her 'uniform' comment.  
"Even if I did, what diff-"  
"They're not letting you in without one, you know. What, you want to stand outside all night?" Neon cut him off again, her voice impatient.  
Oh, jeez. How could he forget? Well, the last time he'd been to the auction, he was stationed outside so there's no need for any formal attire. But this time, he was accompanying his boss inside the compound. So a formal suit was indeed required. So that's why she was not in her usual gypsy outfit.  
"I will go and change." He murmured, now embarrassed. How could he have neglected such a simple detail? What happened to his sharp mind that he prided on so much?  
"Well, be quick, would you? The auction's starting soon."  
Fifteen minutes later, they were in the car, speeding towards the auction site, both of them properly dressed. Neon couldn't stand the deafening silence in the car so she pestered Clapika with questions about himself, making him uncomfortable and further annoyed.  
When he clearly showed that he wasn't interested in making small talks, Neon decided it was time to drop the bomb.  
"You're going there as my date." She announced. She was rewarded with a narrowed look that was cautious and weary at the same time.  
He didn't ask for an explanation so she kept on talking. "I'd expect you to drop your business attitude and start acting like a real guy." She said bossily.  
"I don't see the necessity of that." Clapika returned dryly.  
"Oh, come on. It'll be fun!"  
There was silence from him. The unspoken scorn hung in the air between them. She knew he thought the idea was simply ridiculous, that she was ridiculous. She could practically sense his disapproval.  
"Well, I wanted to be normal for a change!" Neon finally burst out, unable to tolerate the heavy silence anymore.  
"Normal?"  
"Ever since I can remember, I've never had any friends, much less a boyfriend. I can only watch girls my age enjoying themselves while I was stuck somewhere inside a stupid old mansion writing poetries about the future, only to make my father drift further apart from me and making myself lonelier. All my life, I've never had a real family, or friend. I just want to feel normal, to laugh with a friend, or go on a date. It's never been possible before. this. Before my father was."  
She turned her head towards the window, hiding the telltale wetness of her eyelids. She blinked, willing the tears away. She would not let him see her real tears for the second time in the space of twelve hours.  
Clapika took a moment to digest this information. He felt horrible. He had no idea how miserable her life was. He just took it for granted the fact that she was being a brat just because her father's a millionaire. But in a way, he could relate the feeling of loneliness that Neon felt. He knew what it felt like to have no one to turn to in this world.  
But he'd been lucky. He had friends now. Instantly, the faces of Gon, Killua and Reolio flashed in his mind. His friends, teammates, and people he could trust. But Neon, she had no one.  
"I'm sorry." It was all he could offer. And he was sorry. He realized now that his impersonal treatment towards her had been unfair.  
"So you agree?" Neon asked, instantly cheering up.  
Clapika nodded. Then, almost reluctantly, he turned to her and offered her a small smile. Slight it was but still there nonetheless.  
  
People were staring as they made their way towards the entrance. It might be the fact that they were quite young to be seen in an auction site or maybe it was simply the fact that they made a striking couple together. Clapika looked charmingly defined in his black suit that fitted well against his body and Neon was simply stunning in her simple but elegant dress.  
They were stopped at the entrance by two bodyguards who asked for verifications. Neon was offended. She'd thought she was there enough times for the guards to recognize her. But it was well over a year since she'd been there.  
"Nostaroid, Neon. And this is my date." She said haughtily.  
The guard started and then bowed politely at her. "Miss Nostaroid. I wasn't told that you would be coming." He looked over her shoulder, as if expecting her bodyguards to stand behind him.  
"Well, it was a last minute kind of thing." She said and brushed past him without a second glance.  
So the old Neon Nostaroid is back. Clapika thought. For a moment back there, he'd thought that he finally saw the real her, behind the mask. So the mask is on again.  
"You were quite brusque with him." He commented, his voice completely neutral as not to anger her.  
Neon glanced at him.  
"I wouldn't have dared said anything if I'm on duty but considering the fact that I'm here as your date tonight." he looked sideways at her and a sly smile was forming on his lips.  
She suddenly smiled brightly at him. "Now you're getting it!" she exclaimed cheerfully and linked her arm with his.  
"Which hall are we supposed to go to?" Clapika asked.  
"Hall B! C'mon!" she pulled him towards the door.  
As they made their way down the aisle, they suddenly bumped into two kids. They seemed to recognize Clapika as they exclaimed in delight when they saw him.  
"What are you two doing here?" Clapika was asking them. Neon noticed that his detached and impersonal manner he usually adopted around her had evaporated. He seemed more at ease now.  
"We're observing." The one with the silverish blue hair answered.  
"Observing?" Clapika turned to the boy with the big innocent eyes and raised an eyebrow. "What are you guys up to now?"  
"Well, we came up with a brilliant plan on how to be able to play Greed Island." The boy said. He didn't seem to notice the don't-tell-him- now look his friend was shooting him. "We figured that we didn't need to actually buy the game but find the person who bought it and offer our help as professional hunters to crack the game."  
Clapika laughed. "Crack the game? The way you talk, Gon, it's almost as if you can go in and back out again in just a space of one hour!"  
"Anyway, what are you doing here?" The silver-blue haired boy interjected. He glanced at Neon and back at Clapika with an almost-smirk.  
"Aah, sorry. Neon, these are my friends, Gon and Killua. Gon, Killua, meet my employer, Neon. We're here to bid, of course."  
"Nice to meet you two!" Neon said brightly. So Gon was the one with the innocent eyes and Killua was the silver-blue haired boy with the cold manner. "Clapika has told me nothing about you!"  
"That sounds just like him." Gon remarked with a laugh.  
Clapika grinned. "What's there to talk about?" he joked.  
"But he sure had a lot to talk about you." Killua said, addressing Neon. "It's always Neon this, Neon that."  
Neon looked at Clapika with a raised eyebrow. "You did?" she asked him.  
"Well, I discussed you with Senrich a lot. About our mission and such. They involve you, of course." He answered, shrugging.  
Neon was surprised at the heavy thud of disappointment in her when she heard this. Why did his answer would affect her in such a way? It didn't make sense.  
"Oh, hey, Clapika. Did you just arrive?" Killua asked.  
"Yeah. Why?"  
"So you didn't bump into anybody else you know besides us, did you?"  
Gon seemed to be confused as well as Clapika was at Killua's questions. He gave his friend a puzzled frown, wondering what kind of point Killua was trying to make.  
"Well, no. Why? Is Reolio here, too?"  
"Hum. Nothing. Just wondering." Killua shot a look at Gon, willing his friend to understand.  
"Killua, do you mean Fe-ouch!" Gon was rewarded with a jab in the ribs.  
Don't say it, baka! Killua thought furiously. Don't tell him about Feitan and Phinx!  
Clapika was merely staring at them in gentle amusement as Gon rubbed his sides and complained to Killua.  
Neon, already losing interest in their conversation, had gone on ahead and got herself a seat near the front row. The auction was almost starting so Clapika excused himself and went to sit beside his boss-er, date.  
Maybe it was fate, or just a weird coincidence, but sitting two rows back, five seats from theirs, were Feitan and Phinx. Of course, Clapika didn't notice them.yet.  
  
Author's Ramblings:- Well, that's it for chapter two!^_^ I still can't decide whether Clapika should bump into Feitan and Phinx or not.but if he did, then the story would be a bit long. I'm not good at writing long stories, I get bored easily and won't finish it. Hm. We'll see. Btw, I used Word to write this story and when I spell-checked it, guess what replacement the computer suggested for 'Killua'? It's 'killer'. Ironic, huh? I found it quite hilarious. -_^ I'm not really a fan of Clapika x Neon pairings but I just think they would make a better couple than LeoPika or even KilluKura ( sorry all LeoPika and KilluKura fans out there~) Anyway, I'll try and make the story more interesting next time! ^_^ Ganbate, Yuki-chan~~ 


	3. Defenceless

Chapter 3~Defenceless  
  
~^~*~^~  
  
"Which dress do you want to wear, honey?"  
  
The woman with the gentle smile reached for a peach-coloured satin dress and held it against the excited little girl. "This one looks nice. What do you think, honey?"  
  
"I want the white one over there!" the little girl said pointing to the one hanging inside the built-in wardrobe. She looked to be around six or seven.  
  
"Oh, not that one, honey. That's for your birthday party next month. It's not even finished yet. Pick another one." The woman coaxed gently.  
  
"Oh, please, mother? Please, please, please? I want to wear that dress tonight." The little girl begged, her eyes wide. She looked so sweet and adorable that the mother almost relented.  
  
"That is a very special dress, honey. Don't you want to wear something special for your birthday? If you wear this peach dress tonight's dinner, I promise I'll lend you my pearl hairclip so you can match it with your dress. How does that sound? I know you love that hairclip."  
  
The little girl looked longingly at the white dress and sighed. Then an idea struck her. What if she showed her mother something she liked? Her mother would be pleased and might let her wear the dress!  
  
So the little girl ran upstairs to her playroom and picked a few pieces of paper lying beside her dollhouse. She had written something on the paper last night when she felt.urged to. She couldn't explain it. Whenever the urge to write came to her, she just grabbed a paper and simply released it. She had no idea what she wrote in there as it was constructed in such strange characters that she had not yet learned. But her father always loved whatever it was that she wrote. He always got excited when she showed him the papers. So she was positive that her mother would love it too.  
  
"Mother! I have something to show you!" the girl cried, running back into the room her mother occupied.  
  
The mother glanced at the papers in her daughter's hands and instantly, her face became wary. She'd never liked her daughter's abilities to predict the future. She hated it even more when her husband used their daughter's abilities to get ahead in his business. What kind of a man would manipulate his own daughter? She thought angrily.  
  
"What is it, honey?" she asked as she took the papers without even looking at it.  
  
"Go on, mother. Read it. It's about you. I was thinking about you when I wrote it."  
  
With a sigh, the mother read the single piece of paper. She'd never seen her daughter's predictions before so she was quite surprised to find it written in the form of four-lined poetry. She scanned the single stanza and suddenly uttered a strangled cry that startled her daughter.  
  
The daughter looked up into the pale face of her mother with puzzlement. What's wrong? Hadn't she like it? She thought nervously. Her mother looked awfully upset. No, not only upset. She looked.spooked beyond words. And scared as well. Her mother was never scared.  
  
~*~ The Angel of Death has smiled upon her~*~  
  
"Mother? Mother!! No, mother!" strong hands pulling her away.  
  
~*~ It's no longer a blessing, but a curse~*~  
  
There was the sound of explosion. A second later, a small stain appeared on her mother's dress. It was growing bigger, spreading on her mother's pure- white dress. Red, so red. Then she watched as her mother mouthed the final words to her.  
  
~*~ She predicted her mother's death.~*~  
  
"I love you."  
  
And finally, she watched as the light died away in her mother eyes and she slumped on the cold floor with a soft thud.  
  
~*~ The next day, it came true.~*~  
  
"Mother!!!!!"  
  
~^~*~^~  
  
"Neon!"  
  
Neon jerked upright and hit her head on something. She winced in pain.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
Her face was warm and sweat was trickling down her neck. Someone was gripping her shoulders and a face was peering down at her, brown eyes filled with concern.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Clapika released his hold but he was still examining her flushed face with concern. "You were thrashing about and almost caused an accident. And your head hit the windshield."  
  
Neon realized that she was in the passenger seat of her father's car and it was parked beside a rather deserted road. Oh. She thought. It was all she could manage. The trip down memory lane had shaken her in ways she couldn't imagine.  
  
/Mother.../  
  
It wouldn't be the first time she'd dreamt about her mother but to have the dream a vivid reminder of the truth. No, it wasn't just a simple dream. She had remembered. Remembered the moment of her mother's death. No, murder.  
  
"Did you have a nightmare?" Clapika asked.  
  
"Ah...um, yeah, it was just a nightmare." She answered, embarrassed to have him witness yet another of her weak side.  
  
Why did he always to be around when she was at her most vulnerable state? First, he'd seen her cry over her father's condition and now.this.  
  
/And why does that bother me so much?/  
  
Neon was shocked when Clapika suddenly reached out and pulled her towards him. His left hand was at the back of her neck and his right hand had pushed aside her bangs. He neared his face and touched her forehead with his.  
  
"You're burning up. Maybe you're coming down with a fever." He said.  
  
/Oh my God./  
  
Why had her heart raced when he touched her?  
  
And blood was rushing to her face.  
  
Neon was scared. She didn't understand any of the feelings she was having and it didn't help either when Clapika's hand was still resting lightly on her shoulders. His eyes had such a haunted look in them. And why was he staring at her like that?  
  
She pushed him away-none too gently-and turned her face towards the black night outside. "Take me home...*now*."  
  
Clapika tried reaching for her again but Neon shrank away. Her face was filled with alarm.  
  
/What in the world could've scared her so much?/ He thought, puzzled.  
  
He turned away, restarted the engine and drove in silence all the way to Nostaroid mansion. Whatever it was that was bothering Neon, maybe a little rest would help cure her.  
  
The black car had barely stopped in front of the front door but Neon jumped out as if she was trapped in a microwave oven. She stumbled a little, steadied herself and threw her shoes off. It made running easier. So all the way to her room, Neon ran without stopping.  
  
She threw herself on her bed and piled lots of blankets on top of her. As if it can block out all the weird feelings she's been having. When it was too warm and suffocating, she threw the blankets off her and made to get up. She glanced around her room, trying to find an outlet to the turmoil inside her. She felt like throwing something, anything, and breaking it into a million pieces.  
  
Screams. She heard screams.  
  
Neon put her hands on her ears, trying to block out the sound. But it wasn't coming from outside. It was inside her head. It was her mother's scream.  
  
~^~*~^~  
  
She held on her mother's arm as if it was her lifeline. Her mother looked down at her and smiled thinly. Her face looked strain and she was paler than usual. She hadn't been herself ever since she read her daughter's prediction last night.  
  
The little girl was sad. She'd upset her mother. She knew it had something to do with last night's papers. Oh, how she wished she'd never shown them to her mother.  
  
~*~ Your greatest fears has been confirmed, The Death paper will be read, In the night of the second moon, the Fate has affirmed, The one in white shall be dead. ~*~  
  
The mother had burned all the white clothing the daughter owned, including the one she never got to wear. Her greatest fear...her greatest fear was losing her daughter.  
  
~*~  
In the night of the second moon, the Fate has affirmed ~*~  
  
It was inevitable that they attended the dinner that night. The little girl's father had insisted on having his wife and daughter around. They had to show that they're really a happy family.on the outside.  
  
The mother knew what Fate has sealed for her. Little did she know that the prediction was meant for her, not her daughter.  
  
So when an assassin appeared, trying to kidnap her daughter, she had thrown herself bodily onto him in an attempt to stop him. Their bodyguards were nowhere to be seen. The daughter screamed, attracting the attention of the happy diners.  
  
Three tall men in black rushed to them. The bodyguards.  
  
They were too late.  
  
~^~*~^~  
  
~@~~@~~@~  
  
"The boss looked upset. What happened?" Senrich asked, peering out of the common room door.  
  
Clapika looked towards the stairs leading to Neon's room and shot his friend a puzzled look. "I had no idea. She had a nightmare and suddenly, she was all jumpy and nervous."  
  
"The nightmare upset her." Senrich stated.  
  
Stepping inside the common room, Clapika found that Senrich were playing cards with Bashow. /Taking advantage of the boss' absence to loosen up?/ He thought, making Senrich smile sheepish smile.  
  
"Did you guys have a nice time?" Bashow asked, motioning for Clapika to join them. Clapika shook his head and sat on a stool at a corner of the room instead.  
  
"It's just another auction." Clapika said absently. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand. For some unexplained reason, he felt strangely.disturbed. His mind was unrest and he had no idea why.  
  
"Well, it's late." He finally said after a long silence in which Senrich and Bashow resumed their game. Clapika stood up. He took off his jacket and loosened his tie. "I'm going to bed."  
  
"Well, you might want to check in on her." Senrich said without taking his eyes off his cards. Clapika glanced at him sharply and was only rewarded with a knowing smile.  
  
"Well." He said, and left.  
  
~@~~@~~@~  
  
This was payment.  
  
She'd let her guard down and now it's all coming in. All the things she'd tried to block out, everything that she'd kept behind the walls have come to haunt her.  
  
/Oh, mother...will you ever forgive me?/  
  
That's it. The walls are going back up.  
  
Nobody's going to get as close to her as...*he*...almost did.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's Ramblings:- ^_^ sorry if you think this chapter's a bit pointless! I just want to explore Neon's past.sort of trying to explain why she behaved the way she did. I know, I know, it's not exactly the most original idea in the world but, hey, I had fun doing it! Oh, btw, everything about Neon's past was just a figment of my imagination. I had no idea what her real past is, it's up to Togashi sensei! ^_^ P/S: thank you masami and Ganymade for reviewing! Oh yeah, I also want to apologise if my earlier format is a bit confusing. It's now like this:- "" : dialogue // : thoughts ~^~*~^~ : flashbacks ~@~~@~~@~ : paragraph separate 


	4. Missing

Chapter 4~Missing

It came out of nowhere. The feeling of abandonment, of loneliness that seeped into her. She was trapped, in a strange place with no one to help her. A situation she had never been faced with.

But shouldn't she have felt fear?

She sighed, thinking back to the events that led to her present state. She couldn't remember much of what had happened. Only the dreams. They kept on coming back, no matter how hard she tried to bury them inside her.

And the scene of her mother being shot kept replaying itself like a broken record. She was forced to relive that tragic night, to see once again how her mother's eyes had slowly gone blank, her mouth carved into a frozen smile and her hand grasping tightly to the pearl hairclip that she promised to give to her daughter.

Most of all, she remembered red against white.

Neon hugged her knees even tighter around herself and saw the tall skinny person sitting opposite of her stirring slightly by the rustling her skirt made. She stuck out her tongue at the sleeping man and turned her head away.

There was barely any light inside the small room. The only source of light was coming from the tiny hole on the wall and even then, there's only a small sliver of it coming through. It illuminated a dusty, dirty cement floor and muddy brick walls. The room was small, the size of an elevator perhaps. The only other occupant inside it beside her was the black-suited man who had not woken up from his sleep ever since he was brought in. his hair was longish, covering half of his face and he had a crooked nose that made him look like an oversized crow. His head was leaning heavily on his right shoulder and saliva was dripping from his mouth to the floor.

_Disgusting!_ She thought.

A few minutes later, the door opened, revealing a bulky man wearing a pair of ratty old jeans and plain white shirt. He sneered at the sleeping man and turned to give an appraising look to Neon. The latter raised an eyebrow.

"Gettin' comfortable, lass?" he leered.

"Who are you?" she immediately demanded. She scrambled up, dusting herself up and crossed her arms at the man.

"Easy does it, missy. Our boss just wants to have a little…_talk_ with you. C'mon! Gi' up!" the man said and roughly pulled her up by one arm.

"Get your filthy hands off me! I can walk quite well by myself!" she snapped irritably, wrenching her arm free. The man growled unintelligibly and pushed her out of the room.

She was led to a room a few doors away from her previous one and found that it wasn't in much better shape. It was only slightly bigger and contained only of an old cheap study desk and an uncomfortable looking rattan chair. One man was sitting on another ancient cushioned chair on the other side of the desk and he was puffing on a cigarette coolly while surveying her from top to toe.

"Ah, Miss Nostaroid. How nice of you to join me." He said in a false sweet voice.

"Don't you have any food? I'm _hungry._ It's been hours since I last ate. And I need a bath. How dare you put me in that smelly, dirty room with that beggar! It doesn't even have a couch! My back is killing me! I swear, when I get out of here, I'll sue the lot of you!"

"Tsk, tsk. Feisty, aren't we?" he said, grinning like an idiot and waving one finger at her, as if reprimanding a child.

Neon wanted to scream. Hunger and pain always made her cranky. And it annoyed the hell out of her when the man on the chair kept saying lines that can only be heard on old movies or TV sitcoms. He was perhaps in his early twenties. His hair was a mop of copper curls and his eyes a dull grey shade. He was dressed in a plain white button-up shirt. Neon couldn't see what pants he was wearing but she was willing to bet that it was as plain and drab as he was.

"I want food. And a bath. And a change of clothes." Neon whined.

"Look here, missy. In case you haven't noticed, _we're_ in charge here. You're not in any position to make any demands." Sitcom Boy warned. 

She shrugged and proceeded to sulk as the two put their heads together to confer. She'd have eavesdropped but honestly, all they do was grunt. Especially on the gorilla side while Sitcom Boy waved his hand around like a hippo swatting a fly. Talk about inconspicuous. The two definitely held new meaning to the word.

"Okay listen here, missy. The boss wants you to write a prediction."

"Forget it!" Neon stuck out her tongue and leaned back. She crossed her arms to emphasize her words.

"Charming." Sitcom Boy interrupted. "You weren't listening very closely, Miss Nostaroid. I wasn't _asking, I was __ordering."_

Neon scrunched up her nose. "I don't take orders." She replied stubbornly.

Sitcom Boy scowled and shot a 'look' towards Gorilla. Obediently, he grabbed Neon by the hand and shook her until her teeth chattered. When he finally put her back down, Neon had to grab the wobbly chair's hand so as not to fall.

"If you think I have time to deal with your silly, childish attitude, you are seriously wrong." Sitcom Boy said calmly. He grinned as Neon glared venomously at him. "Now, would you predict something for me?"

Neon was getting more and more annoyed by the minute. Why would they want her predictions? Haven't they heard that she had lost her nen? What was their _problem? Were they just being stupid on purpose?_

"Haven't you been listening? I don't want to write anything! I want to get out of this horrible place! I don't _care_ if you want a prediction! I'm not giving you any if I don't get food and a bath! Soon! How many times must I tell you this?" screamed Neon and began thrashing around.

Gorilla moved forward and tried to take hold of her but was stopped by Sitcom Boy. The latter watched Neon with distaste and muttered, almost reluctantly, "We're not allowed to harm her, remember?"

"Well what should we 'bout 'er then? She didn' want ter listen to what we say."

"The boss said to do whatever it takes to make her do a prediction for us. If force is out of the question, then we can only use persuasion."

"y'mean…?"

Sitcom Boy sighed. He turned to Neon who was pouting and kicking the table with her boots. 

"Tell us what to do." he said tiredly. 

AN: some might notice that this is a repost. I just realized that Neon was being way too catty and had to redo this chapter. 

p/s: sorry about the Gorilla's accent. I'm so bad at those! ^_^


End file.
